Bringing Sustainability and Profitability through ‘Vermicomposting’ A Study from the Cold Arid Ladakh
Dr. Parveen Kumar*, Dr. F. D. Sheikh**, Sonam Angchuk***
*SMS (Ag. Extension) KVK-Leh, SKUAST-K
**Programme Coordinator, KVK-Leh, SKUAST-K
***Computer Programmer, KVK-Leh, SKUAST-K Corresponding author: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The world today is finding ways and means to have an agriculture production system which does not relies on synthetic chemical fertilizers and chemicals, but on a system which is based on the use of natural products, does not makes our natural resources viz. the land, the water and the air toxic. This production system has also to be sustainable, eco friendly, remunerative and should not compromise with the future generations. Organic farming, Zero budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) of Subash Palekar and use of Compost and Vermi compost are thus now preached and practiced all over the world to produce safe and healthy food and to reverse the damage done to our precious natural resources. The present endaveour is a study of the use of vermi compost in bringing sustainability and profitability the cold arid Ladakh region.
Keywords: Sustainable, Eco friendly, ZBNF, Organic farming, Vermi compost
A. INTRODUCTION:
The Union Territory of Ladakh standing at a height of 2900 m to 5900 m above mean sea level is one of the highest and coldest. The region comprises of two districts of Leh and Kargil. It is also the principal cold desert of India. Leh with an area of 45,110 sq km is the largest district in the country. The region combines the condition of both arctic and desert climate. Therefore Ladakh is often called cold desert (Shafiq, et.al 2016). Being cold arid region, the temperature ranges between +35°C in summer to -35°C in winter. The farming season is confined here for half of the year from April-May to Sep-October. This is because of the freezing cold winter which does not allow any crop to be raised. Grazing resources are also more in Leh district. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has set up the ambitious target of making the region totally organic by 2025 under Mission Organic Development Initiative popularly known as MODI. To achieve the mission requires specific interventions like composting, vermicomposting, night soil which rely on the use of local resources.
Vermicomposting being one such intervention based on recycling of farm, livestock and kitchen waste into high quality organic manure with the help of special type of earthworms has come up as a silent revolution in the cold arid region of Ladakh. This high quality organic manure is rich in macro nutrients like Nitrogen (1.5-2.0%), Phosphorous (1-1.5%) and Potassium (0.60%) as well as in micronutrients like Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Zinc and Manganese etc. It is also rich in various enzymes and growth promoters (Rana, 2016)
B. LOCALE OF THE STUDY: The present study was conducted in the cold arid Leh district of the Union Territory of Ladakh. District Leh with an area of 45,110 sq km is the largest district in the country (JK Dev. Report). Being cold arid region, the temperature ranges between +35°C in summer to -35°C in winter. The area has short mild summer to a long cold winter. The
farming season is confined here for half of the year from April-May to Sep-October. This is because of the freezing cold winter which does not allow any crop to be raised. Largely monocropping is prevalent in the region. Wheat and Barley are the principal crops grown in the short growing season available in this region. Vegetable production in this area is also a major source of livelihood for the peoples of this region. Livestock production is also a major production system of Ladakh region. To make the region totally organic by 2025 under Mission Organic Development Initiative (MODI), Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Leh has been promoting the use of organic manures through composting and vermicomposting among the farming community in the region. For vermicomposting all the necessary inputs like vermiworms, vermi pits, vermi beds and the necessary expertise was provided by the KVK-Leh. The present study includes results of ten villages from Leh district from which farmers have taken vermi compost as an enterprise and was done with the objective:
i. To study the reduction in cost of cultivation due to use of vermi compost ii. To study the profitability of vermi compost as an enterprise
C. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The data was obtained from the farmers directly in a face to face situation by means of personal interview. The data was than analyzed and results were drawn based on the objectives of the study.
D. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:
Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Leh under the administrative control of SKUAST-K took the lead in promoting organic cultivation in this region through various interventions like compost, vermi compost, use of night soil, integrated management of weeds, diseases and various insect pests etc. The Buddhists constituting the majority population in Leh district are very religious person who believe that it is not fair to kill organisms as it goes against the basic tenets of Buddhism.
They feared that the worms may get killed in this process. KVK-Leh thus had to face initial reluctance from the farming community. But with constant motivation, awareness and guidance about the ill effects of chemical intensive agriculture and the need for a healthy food; KVK-Leh finally succeeded in changing their perception towards this eco-friendly practice.
With initial support from KVK-Leh in providing vermiworms, vermi beds and in constructing vermi pits, many of them are now producing quintals of vermiworms; selling it to other farmers, NGOs, government departments and earning lakhs of rupees besides producing nutrient rich organic manure. With constant expertise and guidance they have also become master trainers actively engaged in training and guiding others. KVK-Leh’s efforts in this direction have been summarized as follow:
a. Vermiworms: Earthworms also called as ‘Environmental Engineers’ as they are capable of
‘transforming the soil they live in’. Vermi composting is done by special type of earthworms the most common of which is ‘Eisenia Foetida’; whereas compost is formed naturally by the microbial decomposition. Vermi compost is nutritionally rich than Compost. Actually vermi compost is the fecal matter of Eisenia Foetida. The waste material when passes through the digestive tract of the worm gets enriched with the nutrients, enzymes and growth hormones.
b. Awareness, Trainings and Motivation: Farmers, Youths and Farmwomen from different villages of the region regularly visit the vermi compost demo unit at KVK-Leh where they are made aware of this eco friendly technology and are motivated to take on this as an enterprise.
Training programmes are also organized in different villages to familiarize the farming community with vermi compost production technology.
c. Diagnostic visits: Diagnostic visits planned by the concerned scientist from KVK-Leh almost on fortnightly basis help to monitor the condition of vermiworms and also of the vermicompost.
These visits ensure that the weather papameters like moisture level and optimum temperature are maintained at the site. This further helps in getting good yields and fine quality of vermicompost.
d. Buy back arrangements: KVK-Leh also provides marketing support to the vermicompost producers and for this it had made buy back arrangements with them. This is a win win situation for both KVK-Leh as well as the producer. KVK-Leh is ensured of regular and adequate supply of vermiworms for further distribution to the farming community under its various programmes;
whereas the producer is ensured of a remunerative price.
RESULTS:
a. Vermicompost production: Farmers’ of the region are now producing fine quality vermicompost as organic manure. They are successfully turning all their ‘waste into wealth’.
Farmer Interest Groups also comprising of farm women from different vilages are actively rearing vermiworms producing vermicompost and growing vegetables ad other crops organically.
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Fig. 3: Farm women from a Farmer Interest Group
b. Horizontal Expansion of Technology: This technology has now reached its horizontal expansion stage. With facilitation from KVK-Leh, the farmers producing vermiworms offer their worms to other farmers of the region who desire to take vermicomposting. In most of the cases the vermiworms are provided free of costs as a philanothropic gesture by the producer.
Fig. 5: Horiizotal expansion of technology
c. The Vermipreneurs: Now with more and more peoples coming forward to take this as an enterprise, the region is steadily witnessing an increase in the no. of agrireneurs taking vermicompost as an enterprise. They are earning lakhs of rupees per annum by selling vermiworms as well as vermicompost.
Fig 6: A Vermicompost sale counter
d. As an Organic Insecticide: Farmers’ of the region are now using vermi compost as an agent for organic control of different insect pests. The liquid solution of vermi compost known as
‘Vermi compost Tea’ is being successfully used by them to control insect pests in vegetables.
Farmers have reported encouraging results of this spray.
e. The Change Agents: Some of the successful farmers’ who have become change agents contributing to this silent revolution in this cold arid region include Urgain Phuntsog from Village Gya, Akbar Khan from village Ranbirpur, Rigzin Tsering from Choglamsar, Ishey Dorjey from Nimoo and Tsetan Dolma from village Sakti, Stanzin Gonbo from village Stok
IMPACT OF INTERVENTION:
a. Use of vermi compost as substitute for the costly chemical fertilizers has decreased the cost of cultivation by 15 to 20 percent in this cold arid region.
b. Many farmers have become entrepreneurs by way of selling vermiworms @rupees 300-400 per kilogram and vermi compost @rupees 30 to 40 per kilogram
c. Has resulted in effective recycling of farm, kitchen and home waste into high quality organic manure
d. Vermi compost in liquid form is also being used as insecticide by the farmers e. Improvement in soil health and productivity has also been reported by farmers.
f. Due to horizontal expansion of technology, many hectares of land has been brought under organic cultivation due to vermi compost in this cold arid region
g. Reduction in cost of cultivation is contributing towards the national mission of Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) by 2022 and the Ladakh’s Mission Organic development initiative popularly known as Ladakh’s MODI
h. Many farmers of the region have now become master trainers’ and are invited to give lectures on vermi compost production technology by different NGOs in the region
i. One of innovative vermi compost producer Urgain Phuntsog from Leh, Ladakh was even mentioned by Hon’ble Primeminister in his ‘Man ki Baat’ programme on Feb. 28, 2021.
j. This has also brought in self reliance and sustainability for the farmers and for the agriculture sector of this region which already has a very fragile ecosystem.
CONCLUSION:
In the present era when sustainability and non remunerativeness of the agriculture sector
and recycling of natural resources are need of the hour. The practices like ZBNF enable farmers to improve soil fertility, drastically reduce costs and risks, reduce irrigation requirements and increase yields. Vermicomposting has also proved to be a sustainable and remunerative intervention in this cold arid region. It has effectively resulted in the recycling of farm, home and kitchen waste into high quality organic manure. It is a silent revolution taking place in this region which has the potential to achieve the objectives of National level Mission of ‘Doubling Farmers’ Income’ by 2022 and the Ladakh’s ‘Mission Organic Development Initiative’ by 2025.
REFERENCES:
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